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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · charge · snap · pitcher · bulb · roll · bowl · mark

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. snap — to click
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mark — a grade
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. bulb — for light
  23. charge — in control
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com